Point of Divergence
by 3ND34V0R
Summary: Based on StarSerpent's Invicta Series It's been 13 years since the end of the Great War. The brewing cold war between the Human-Turian Alliance and the Citadel reaches a precipice. Enter Eden Prime, an insignificant colony made significant by the discovery of an intact Prothean Beacon. While the two great powers rush to cooperate, an ancient threat emerges from the shadows.
1. Setting the Stage

May 12, 2583. The Galaxy is in _great_ shape. It's been thirteen years since Great War ended, and twelve after the formation of the Orion-Perseus Strategic Alliance (commonly referred to as the Alliance)- the continuation of the Human-Turian Alliance that defeated the Covenant in the Great War. Two major players now stand strong in this time, with the Alliance on one side and the Citadel on the other, with the Covenant splinter groups scattered around the Galaxy.

The Alliance is the new kid on the block- at least, that's what the Citadel will tell you. Battle-hardened, and possessing the largest armada in the Galaxy save for the Quarians and perhaps the Geth, it is watched with uneasy eyes by the Greater Galaxy. Turian Colonialism and Human Expansionism have combined into an uncomfortably imperialistic doctrine, and only the fact that they are recovering from the Great War has prevented them from invading their smaller neighbors. Xenophobia, especially among the Human portion of this Alliance, runs rampant, and the leaders are becoming more jingoistic with each passing day. The Volus are perhaps the only race advocating moderation, but they are a small voice compared to the other two races.

The Citadel, officially the Galactic Pact of the Citadel, is still reeling from the perceived 'defection' of the Turians, with the Asari and Salarians conveniently ignoring their abandonment of the Turians after the Covenant invasion of Aephus. They still maintain the largest economy in the Galaxy, alongside the second-largest fleet- if in numbers and not firepower. Dozens of races are part of this polity, making it the one with the largest population as well, albeit a very loosely united one. The Asari and Salarians have begun militarizing to a great degree lately, wary of the Alliance, alongside the potential threat of a resurgent Covenant. There is even talk about a Genophage cure, and even a Quarian Reconciliation, but both have been shot down as unrealistic and unnecessary...for now, at least. For the past decade, the Asari have been scrambling to make nice with the Alliance, but it is an uphill battle for them.

The Covenant, once the largest and most powerful empire in the Galaxy, has been shattered under the weight of the Alliance and their internal Civil War. Its races have been spread far and wide, with some even going nearly extinct.

Of its three leading races, only the Sangheili have any officially recognized government. Formed by the Covenant Separatists in the aftermath of the Great War, the Sangheili Imperium is but a shadow of the old Covenant. Faced with internal troubles, namely a mass defection of Huragok to the Alliance, a lack of engineering and agricultural know-how, and a _very_ hostile Alliance on its borders, many doubt Arbiter-Imperator Thel'Vadam's ability to hold the nascent nation together. The Lekgolo mitigate these issues to a certain extent, but there exists some tension between the two races already, tension that outside actors have already begun taking advantage of. Even so, the fact that the Imperial Sangheili Navy has the only remaining CSO-class Supercarrier and six CAS-class Assault Carriers makes the rest of the Galaxy wary of crossing the Imperium.

The majority of the Jiralhanae are stuck on their cratered and nuclear-irradiated homeworld of Doisac, kept under constant guard by an Alliance fleet. Barbarism runs rampant there, and the small percentage that had managed to be offworld when Doisac got nuked are either part of the Storm Covenant or are warlords in the Terminus.

The small number of San'Shyuum that managed to escape High Charity's destruction have formed the Storm Covenant with the Jiralhanae and the Yanme'e in the Terminus Systems, gaining control of a small number of Warlord Territory systems. They are engaged in low-level warfare with the Terminus Syndicate, an Omega-based coalition of Terminus warlords who fight each other as much as the Storm Covenant. The Alliance would like to wipe them out for good, but given their location on the other side of the Galaxy, its leaders have written off the Storm Covenant for the moment.

The Kig-Yar are the only other Covenant race to have come out with an officially recognized government, although it is now embroiled in a Civil War- one that many suspect has been instigated by the Alliance. The Kig-Yar Confederacy, controlling Eayn and a dozen or so colonies, was the closest nation in terms of distance to the Alliance, and the wartime hostility has not diminished by any amount, something that is not helped by the Confederacy's 'Privateer' navies- essentially pirates who lend the occasional help to the government. There are also a dozen Kig-Yar warlords operating in the Terminus, although they face much resistance from the Syndicate.

The Yanme'e are a highly divided race, with only three Queens surviving the War. One is a prisoner in all but name to the Alliance, another as part of the Storm Covenant and the last as an independent warlord. The Yanme'e homeworld is kept under watch by another Alliance fleet.

The Unggoy traded masters during the War, handing their chains from the Covenant to the Alliance- or more specifically, to Humanity. The Unggoy Protectorate is a nominally independent nation, 'advised' by Human officials and part of the Alliance. They have no military, although the infamous UNSC Unggoy Auxiliary Force still exists. Nearly every important Unggoy official and every single member of the UAF is addicted to the Loyalty Gas, ensuring Human control of their government.

As for the rest of the Galaxy?

The Terminus Syndicate is a loosely-aligned coalition of warlords and rogue colonies, led by Aria T'Loak, the Queen of Omega. Much of their focus is centered upon the Storm Covenant, which has slowly begun gaining power. Its members, however, are notably belligerent towards the Citadel, and to a lesser extent the Alliance. T'Loak's hold on the Syndicate may be more tenuous than appearances may suggest.

The Krogan remain broken on Tuchanka, with warbands scattered around the Galaxy. A number of petty kingdoms ruled by Krogan warlords exist in the Terminus Systems and Nemean Abyss- the Dominion of the Graal is one of these, and is considered one of the driving forces behind the Terminus Syndicate. As a whole, however, the Krogan are a disunited race, with no true central government and generally no hope for the future. Any possibility of aligning with the Alliance went out the window when they realized the Turians were half of the Alliance.

Some Vorcha have joined with the Storm Covenant, which use them in the same capacity as the Unggoy. The considerably tougher Vorcha, however, have adapted to this role with much gusto, seeing their cause as worthier than serving Krogan warlords. The Alliance, for their part, has acquired several thousand Vorcha as an experiment, something that has prompted the STG to accelerate their Yahg program in secret.

The Quarian Migrant Fleet is still out there, constantly on the move and searching for ways to retake Rannoch- a fool's endeavor if there ever was one. The formation of the Alliance and the arrival of Humanity onto the galactic stage had initially been seen the Quarians attempt to gain their assistance, but relations deteriorated rapidly after the Humans brought an AI to negotiate- something the Migrant Fleet saw as an insult. The Fleet mainly stays in the Attican Traverse nowadays, unable to go into Alliance or Citadel Space without triggering war, and unable to enter the Terminus without having to deal with the Storm Covenant or Syndicate.

The Geth remain behind the Veil, serving as a boogeyman for the rest of the Galaxy. While some within the Alliance are clamoring for a First Contact, its leaders are reluctant to do so, given the reputation of the Geth and their bad history with First Contacts.

The Arms Race is already on, and the Cold War doesn't seem to be too far off now. Tension has gripped the leaders of the Galaxy like never before. The Great War may be over, but another looms on the horizon. And on the ten-year old Alliance colony of Eden Prime, the discovery of an intact Prothean Beacon may just set this powderkeg alight.

Welcome to the Galaxy of today.

* * *

Notes: This is a Halo/Mass Effect Crossover based off StarSerpent's Invicta universe, set in the 2580s. I worked on the original timeline with him, and extended it all the way to the 2580s. I don't believe his series will be directly linked to mine, but the timeline up to 2557 (in the Invicta Codex) is the same for both this fic and Star's Invicta: Second Front.

The basics of the 'Point of Divergence' timeline is this:

Up to 2557, use Invicta Codex Timeline.

Aephus became the site of a massive battle between the Turian Hierarchy and Covenant, with the former being slowly defeated until a UNSC fleet arrived. The UED (Humanity's official government) strikes an alliance with the Turians, and helps them retake Aephus. The Citadel Council attempts to mediate a peace agreement with the Covenant, but this fails almost immediately. During the Covenant representative's tirade demanding the Turian disarmament and surrender, as well as Human extinction, two CSO-class Supercarriers and three CAS-class Assault Carriers arrive with their attendant armada. They then offer to leave the Asari and Salarians alone, provided they abandon the Turians- which they did.

By 2558, the Turians, Volus and their client races have left the Citadel, cutting ties with the Asari and Salarians. They enter a formal alliance with the Human race, and enter a state of total war with the Covenant.

Basically, Covenant internal strife (Brute vs Elite) increases to a ridiculous degree, and infighting forces the Prophets (who are slowly beginning to regret pitting the two races against each other) to segregate their fleets. This inefficient command, human willingness to use NOVAs and the sheer size of the Turian fleets (smaller than the Covenant, but 3 times bigger than the UNSC's in number) allows the Human-Turian Alliance to capture Bahalo in 2566. This is when the Covenant starts to get its shit together, which would have been _bad, bad_ news for the Alliance...

Unfortunately for the Covenant, they don't really get the chance. In 2567, High Charity is literally discovered by accident, and through a complex clusterfuck, the manipulations of the Prophets is aired to the entire Covenant- namely the fact that Humans are Reclaimers, and that the Brutes and Elites were being purposefully pitted against one another. Covenant Loyalists detonate High Charity's fusion cores after it seems like the Covenant Separatists and Alliance troops will capture the station, destroying the station along with many of the Prophets. The Covenant Civil War begins in earnest, and the Separatists form a tentative truce with the Alliance.

For the entire 2568, the Alliance grabs every Unggoy (Grunt) colony they get, and NOVA bomb any Covenant Loyalist shipyards they find, while letting both of the 'Covenants' bloody each other. In 2569, a massive Human offensive captures Doisac's orbits, before nuking and commencing orbital bombardment of the planet. This basically kills off nearly three quarters of the Jiralhanae in the Galaxy. This singular act ruined any goodwill the Citadel may have had to the Alliance, with the Asari calling it barbaric. The Turians gave their support to the Humans, which was a nice bonding moment between the two races- over the ashes of their enemy's homeworld, and _who_ doesn't _love_ that?

With the Covenant breaking apart, and the Separatists gaining strength every day, the defeat of the Loyalists was inevitable. The majority of the Covenant Loyalist forces surrendered in mid-2570 during the Battle of Morar IV, while the remainder escaped to the Terminus Systems, where they formed the Storm Covenant.

Thus ends the Covenant War, also known as the Great War.

Point of Divergence is inspired by Peptuck's fic _Renegade_ , a CaC-ME crossover that is counted in my top three fics to read, even if it's incomplete.


	2. Maiden Voyage

_February 11, 2525 - June 15, 2570_

 _Dedicated to those who lost their lives in the Great War._

 _12,402,109,655 Humans, 1,348,792,014 Turians and 191,017,563 Volus_

 _An Eternal Flame to Honor their Eternal Sacrifice- We Shall Never Forget._

\- Inscription at the base of the Eternal Flame Memorial at New Alexandria, Reach

As of 2578, every Human, Turian and Volus world has a replica of the Eternal Flame Memorial.

* * *

Arcturus Station

Arcturus System

May 12, 2583

Tela Vasir had seen much in her life. She'd served as a commando for the Serrice Guard for slightly under a century, before being tapped for the Office of Special Tactics and Reconnaissance. Her three centuries of Spectre-ship had turned her into the Council's best agent, and for good reason.

Still, seeing Arcturus Station and its defenses first-hand was intimidating. The old battle station had gone through extensive changes over the years, and though it retained much of its military functions, it now served as the capital of the Alliance. A veritable armada of warships guarded the station, drawn from the Human, Turian and Volus navies. The Arcturus Relay- the only entrance to Sol that the Citadel knew of- stood several million kilometers distant (1), under the guns of its vigilant defenders.

"We're docking in one minute, Spectre," the Salarian Star Navy ensign who piloted the shuttle said, sending a glance her way. Having been around Salarians for centuries allowed her to see that the ensign was practically radiating nervousness, which Vasir could not truly fault.

Vasir nodded her thanks, and left the cockpit. She'd only been notified of this assignment one day ago, and the only available transport that was fast enough was this shuttle.

The passenger compartment of the shuttle was rather empty, with only one other occupant.

"Jondum," Vasir said in greeting to her partner for the duration of the mission. The Salarian was a formidable Spectre, and was one of the few people that had a chance of besting Vasir in combat. A small chance, very miniscule, of course, but still a chance nonetheless.

"Tela," Spectre Jondum Bau replied, already securing his SMG and pistol to the magnetic strips on his armor. The slight shudder that the shuttle gave off indicated that it had entered one of the docking bays that Arcturus Station sported.

True enough, the shuttle jolted slightly, with the pilot announcing their arrival.

"Landing committee, also present," the pilot added as an afterthought as the shuttle doors swung open.

The one that Vasir immediately saw was a Human, clad in an ODST Combat Suit (2). He (the body structure seemed to indicate this) stood waiting for them. Standing beside him was a Turian, this one clad in the signature armor of the 26th Armiger Legion.

"Spectre Vasir, Spectre Bau," the Human said in greeting as he moved forward. "Welcome to Arcturus. I'm Lieutenant Alenko, and this is Lieutenant Colonel Kryik."

'Odd that the lower-ranking one is taking the lead,' Vasir mused as she filed that away for later analysis.

"If you'll come with us, Captain Anderson is waiting for you onboard the _Normandy_ ," Alenko continued.

"Lead on, Lieutenant," Bau replied as he stepped off the shuttle.

"The _Normandy_ 's on the other side of the docking bay," Alenko said, waving in the general direction of the ship.

The docking bay, Vasir noted, was rather small compared to the cavernous ones that the Alliance loved to use when receiving Citadel delegates. All the shuttles here were military, and the majority of them were Human models. Likewise, most of the personnel in the bay were UNSC, although a smattering of Turians and Volus could be seen.

Alenko had begun engaging her Salarian counterpart in smalltalk, while the Turian- Kryik, she reminded herself- continued to shoot nearly-imperceptible glances at her.

They had entered one of the hallways from the section of the docking bay that they had landed in, where two UNSC Marines stood guard. Both saluted at the sight of Alenko and Kryik, and the door slid open for the group.

The corridor that was behind the door had windows, and it was there that Vasir first saw the UNSC _Normandy_. The ship did not have the same design as the vast majority of the Human warships, with most of the blockiness replaced by sleek angular lines that resonated more with Turian styles. Like every other Human warship, it was gunmetal grey, and exuded an air of menace- at least from Vasir's perspective. It was smaller than a regular UNSC frigate, although Vasir suspected that it was likely to be more dangerous.

"Impressive," Bau commented. "Was not aware that the UNSC adopted Turian designs."

"The _Normandy_ is the first of her line," Kryik spoke up for the first time since she'd met him. There was unmistakable pride in his voice. "A testbed for truly hybridized Alliance technology."

Tela shared a wary look with Bau. Most Citadel Pact races considered the Alliance to be the second-most powerful organization in the Galaxy, just behind the Citadel itself. Vasir and Bau, like most of the Citadel's upper echelons, however, knew better. Although they technically had a larger economy (although the margin was getting smaller with each passing year), along with a large fleet of their own, the Citadel navies tended to focus on cruiserweight and lighter warships- the recent increase in Dreadnoughts was solely due to the Alliance. The Alliance, however, had insane amounts of dreadnought-weight warships, the majority of them operating in the UNSC Navy. The only thing that stopped the Alliance from gaining a total military advantage was the fact that they had trouble upgrading the existing Turian and Volus fleets with Hybridized technology. The fact that the _Normandy_ was a testbed for combined technologies meant that this 'trouble' would be greatly diminished soon...which would utterly change the balance of power- and not in the Citadel's favor.

Vasir made sure to plaster a fake smile on her face in reaction. Bau, goddess bless his short-lived soul, took the opportunity to divert any potential observation of their short glance.

" _Normandy-_ human name?" Bau questioned. "From an old battle in Earth history, yes?"

Alenko nodded, and they began making their way to a docking tube. "A battle in the Second World War, the largest pre-spaceflight amphibious invasion in galactic history."

"Although that's mostly because other races aren't insane enough to invade a country en masse by water," Kryik said, this time with a dry tone that made it clear this was an old argument.

"Just because Turians hate swimming doesn't mean everyone else does too," Alenko shot back, and they reached the docking tube.

* * *

"I don't like it, David," said Colonel Saren Arterius. He was eyeing the security feed with scrutiny, focusing on the Asari and the Salarian who was going to board the ship. It was amazing to truly see what could change in twenty-six years. Before Aephus was invaded by the Covenant, the Turians had enjoyed a cordial, if not friendly, relationship with the other two Council races. Their refusal to involve themselves in the War, and the eviction of the Hierarchy from the Citadel Council had soured the relationship to a degree that would been unimaginable under almost any other circumstance.

"The Citadel Council got High Command to agree with it, and Primarch Fedorian has also given his consent," Anderson responded in an even tone. "Besides, it's not like we're allowing them to run around the ship unsupervised. You know that Big Brother watches and sees all."

Saren merely grunted, before taking down the feed. "As long as I get to assign the sentries. BB may be the latest class of AI, but that just means he's new to this."

"Don't let him hear you say that." Anderson rolled his eyes at his old friend's actions. "Besides, you're not even supposed to be onboard the _Normandy_ for long- for crying out loud, you'll be getting off at the Citadel with the rest of your unit!"

"It's not like your XO minds," Saren said with a grin- or the closest approximation that a Turian could make to a grin, in any case. "Kid's grown a lot, by the way."

"Lieutenant Commander Shepard is _twenty-nine_ , Saren," Anderson shot back in an annoyed tone as he began walking to the CIC. "She's not a kid anymore."

"And you just made me feel old," Saren said in mock anger, waving a clenched fist in the air.

Anderson didn't miss a beat. "You _are_ , you idiot."

"Oh please, I'm two years younger than you," Saren retorted. "You just can't appreciate my obvious vigor of youth."

"Since when was forty-two considered youthful for Turians?" a new voice asked, slight amusement coloring the tone.

"XO," Anderson greeted with a smile.

"Tori, that hurt," Saren said in a mock-hurt tone. He imagined that if the rest of Blackwatch saw him now, they'd be befuddled. Saren Arterius was the very definition of stone-cold professional...unless he was around his unofficial niece.

"You'd think that after decades of being a bullet sponge, you'd develop some pain resistance," Lieutenant Commander Astoria 'Tori' Shepard responded, causing a snicker to escape Anderson. She'd been five years old when she first met Saren Arterius, around two years after the Turian entry to the Great War, and had learned sarcasm from him (which he would later regret).

"Anything to report?" Anderson asked, a slight grin now tugging at the edges of his lips.

"Lieutenant Alenko and Colonel Kryik are bringing our guests in now- I believe Pressly is finalizing their quarter arrangements now," Shepard responded.

They'd entered the CIC by then, just in time for the elevator door to open. Immediately, the lighthearted atmosphere disappeared, replaced by the professional, iron discipline that the Citadel had come to expect of the Alliance.

"Lieutenant Colonel Kryik, Lieutenant Alenko," Anderson said in greeting, before shifting his eyes to the Asari and Salarian behind them. "Welcome aboard the _Normandy_ , Spectres."

The two Alliance officers saluted the Captain, and were wordlessly dismissed by Anderson.

Anderson made a quick mental run through the files the he'd read on Tela Vasir and Jondum Bau. Vasir was an old hand, one with a public reputation to boot. She'd become the unofficial face of the Spectres, known throughout Citadel Space for her more infamous operations- some of which had been turned into actual movies. The Citadel Council was not blind to this, and used her for operations that had risks of exposure. Bau was the public spokesperson for the Spectres, although it amused Anderson to no end that he was less well-known that Vasir. SIGC and the Hierarchy Defense Intelligence (3) had long suspected that Bau was genetically engineered and modified, built to be a super-Salarian. He was simply much faster and stronger than a baseline Salarian, with an extremely sharp mind (even by Salarian standards). It was also well-within the Salarian moral code and capabilities too- if the Alliance could develop their Human-Turian Paladin Program (4) in secret for the past two decades-even if it did involve the UNSC's experience to a degree- then the idea of a Salarian supersoldier program wasn't too unbelievable.

Arterius salted Anderson, and gave a stiff nod at the Spectres before making his way to the crew deck.

"We'll be departing Arcturus Station in the next hour or so," Anderson said. "Commander Shepard here can help settle you into your quarters."

Shepard's smile looked welcoming and genuine enough, which was somewhat reassuring. Then again, she always was a good actor, so this shouldn't have surprised him.

"If you'd follow me, Spectres?"

* * *

Second Lieutenant Garrus Vakarian occasionally wondered how he ended up in Blackwatch- under the command of _Saren Arterius_ , of all people.

Arterius was a legend of the Great War, having one of the highest individual kill counts, and participating in damn near every single pivotal op post-2557. While the man himself acknowledged that the UNSC's Spartans and a select number of ODSTs likely had larger counts, his name was still one that was venerated to a degree within the upper echelons of the Alliance's military elite. After the War, Arterius became one of the pro-Integration advocates within the Turian Hierarchy, eventually leading one of the first official joint species units.

He was one of the few people that could gain the approval of both UNSC High Command and Hierarchy Military Command for leadership of Cerberus Squadron (5), although they ended up selecting Admiral Harper instead. Although officially a Blackwatch officer on secondment, Colonel Saren Arterius was the foremost field officer of Cerberus' Direct Action Group- a unit that Garrus had joined several years ago.

Garrus would have been the first to admit that he was a terrible Turian. Following orders did not come easy to him, and that had nearly led to him being kicked out of the Turian Imperial Army's Cipritine Police Regiment- until Saren Arterius came along with a job offer.

Cerberus was an Alliance endeavor, and as such was a multispecies organization, although it was mostly Humans and Turians. Garrus wasn't too sure of the goal- ensuring Alliance supremacy and dominance at all costs wasn't exactly the friendliest message to espouse. Still, it was a step up from being a mere cog in the Turian war machine, and allowed him to actually feel like he did something worthwhile. That the pay and gear were a step above Alliance standard was just the _icing on the cake_ , as the Humans called it.

"Are you gonna take the shot or not?" The slightly annoyed tone of Second Lieutenant Ashley Williams hissed. It broke his daydreaming, allowing him to refocus on the three moving targets and pull the trigger, three times in quick succession.

"I believe that's triple bullseye, Williams," Garrus said with a smug as he passed on the DMR to his squadmate. He glanced at a nearby screen. "The board says my accuracy rating is higher than yours."

"Drat." The former ODST-turned-Paladin sighed. She was much closer this time, but losing by a thin margin was _still_ losing.

Garrus smirked, knowing that Williams would demand a rematch in a few days. The human was tenacious that way, something that Garrus could respect. They were the newest members of Fireteam Impera, Colonel Arterius' personal squad, and Garrus had the feeling that Williams was trying to 'prove' herself, although he didn't know why.

"Don't know why you bother trying to beat birdie in sniping of all things, Williams," said a more grizzled Human voice as the door to the 'Range' of the _Normandy_. "Their eyesight and hand-eye coordination is a grade above ours."

Major Armando-Owen Bailey was the outlier within Fireteam Impera. Unlike Saren, or Lieutenant Colonel Kryik, or even Williams, Bailey wasn't a former infantryman. He'd been part of the UNSC Navy for years, until he transferred to the New York Police Department on Earth. That didn't mean he wasn't a capable fighter- Garrus had run several combat ops with him in the past few months, and Bailey was no pushover.

"To be fair Major, Williams could outshoot most Turian Paladins at this point," Garrus interjected as Williams started disassembling the rifle at the weapon bench. It was true, too- Williams' accuracy rating was slightly higher than the average Turian Paladin's.

"Kudos to you, ell-tee," Bailey said. "In any case, the Spectres are onboard and Captain Anderson called for a briefing. Room 2, CIC Deck, in about an hour."

The Major then made his way to a wall-mounted weapons locker, pulling out a submachine gun and a set of pistols. Garrus turned back to Williams, who had by now stored the DMR in a footlocker and was wiping her hands on a cloth.

"Do you know anything about Eden Prime?" he asked.

"New colony, mostly Human," Williams rattled off as she began walking towards the door. "Agricultural for the most part, although I think they're trying out some new arcology designs there. I'm gonna go pester Kryik for more details. Coming?"

Garrus nodded, checking to see if his pistol was still there before following her out of the Range.

* * *

The UNSC _Normandy_ left its berth at Arcturus Station, a flight of UNSC fighters and drones escorting it. The lead fighter wigged its wings as the _Normandy_ left its Patrol Area, an action that the agile frigate imitated in response.

A burst of speed propelled the warship towards the Arcturus Relay, with its communications section clearing its authorization codes with the sentry patrols.

In the 'cockpit' of the _Normandy_ , Lieutenant Jeff 'Joker' Moreau began inputting the data for transmitting to the Relay, humming a light tune as he did so. While the Enhanced Slipspace Drives that every Alliance warship was equipped with could make the journey to the Exodus Cluster in good time, a Mass Relay was near instantaneous, which made it preferable when speed was a concern.

Seconds later, a blue tendril shot out of the Mass Relay, catching the _Normandy_ and propelling it out of the Arcturus Stream, beginning its maiden voyage.

It was a benign start for an event that would shake the galaxy.

* * *

1: Every Relay jump will induce a significant amount of 'drift' from the connecting Relay. In Mass Effect, the Normandy's first jump had a drift of 1500K (1.5 million kilometers), which was supposedly very accurate. I'm working on the assumption that maximum drift caps at around 3 million kilometers- which is about 9 times the distance from Earth to the Moon (384k KM). Earth and Mars, in contrast, are around 54.6 million kilometers apart at their closest, and around 401 million kilometers apart at their furthest.

2: The first iteration of the ODST Combat Suit entered service in 2550, and included weak energy shields, synthetic muscles, VISR Mk2, and lightweight Titanium A3h armor coating. The latest iteration entered service in 2581, and has stronger shielding in addition to kinetic barrier systems, in addition to EEZO-based Jumpjets based off those used by the 26th Armiger Legion. Despite its name, the Combat Suit is utilized by all UNSC Special Forces groups (save for the Spartans).

3: Strategic Intelligence Group Command (SIGC) is the overarching intelligence organization for the UNSC. Hierarchy Defense Intelligence (HDI) is the intelligence organization of the Turian Empire (the polity representing the Turians and their client states), although most of their recruits come from the Turian Hierarchy.

4: The Paladin Program is the pseudo-successor to the Spartan Program, after the failure of the Spartan-V Program to produce biotic supersoldiers. Run as an Alliance initiative rather than a UNSC one, it is under the command of the joint species Cerberus Squadron. Human Paladins utilize a modified version of the Spartan-IV augmentations, adding the biotic implants of the Spartan-V program where possible (it is a matter of genetics). The MJOLNIR Series of Powered Armor is still used, although there are several modular parts for specialization. Turian Paladins have a somewhat higher chance of becoming capable of biotics, but are generally physically weaker than their Human counterparts (largely due to the 'newness' of Turian genemods). One key advantage of Turian Paladins is their far superior eyesight, which alongside excellent hand-eye coordination allow them to become formidable snipers. The Paladin Program remains secret, with the Human Paladins assumed to be Spartans by the general public, and the Turian Paladins not having much public exposure due to the fact that they are not noticeably different than unaugmented Turians outside of combat.

5: Cerberus Squadron is the formal name for the elite paramilitary force under the command of the Alliance. Led by Admiral Jack Harper, the former commander of the SIGC and one of the pro-Integration proponents in the aftermath of the Great War, Cerberus is the as the dagger in the Alliance's arsenal. Seen as the counter to the Citadel Spectres, Cerberus Operatives are often military/police (often both) veterans who either work in teams or alone- much like the Spectres. At the same time, Cerberus is a much larger organization, with R&D departments and a flotilla of experimental warships. Their chain of command is significantly more complex (but at the same time clearer), and Cerberus' missions often work with a set of objectives. The placement of the Paladin Program under the purview of Cerberus Squadron is seen as a commitment to cooperation between the UED and the Turian Empire.

* * *

AN: Just introducing the characters that will play a part here. Tela Vasir and Jondum Bau are canon Spectres. Cerberus is implied to have been a rogue Systems Alliance black ops program in canon ME, but here they serve as the sort-of counter to the Spectres. A codex type page will be put up soon, for both the post-2557 timeline as well as the infodumps (for infodump fanatics) on the organizations and characters here.

To answer the question of whether the Halo Installations will still play a part:  
The events of the Halo videogames never happened in this timeline. In 2541, Humanity found the Prothean Archives on Mars. While ME tech alone isn't very good against Covenant tech, combined with Standard UNSC tech it's a force multiplier. So Humanity never actually got pushed into the Inner Colonies, with the Outer Colonies becoming bulwarks against Covenant offensives. After 2557 the Turians entered the war as human allies. Turian numbers helped push the Covenant back, especially once they got their tech upgraded.  
So: No Halo Installations have been discovered, and no Flood has been encountered. _Spirit of Fire_ is still missing, so Humanity has no info on the Forerunners or Flood. They _know_ the Forerunners existed, much like we 'know' the Indus Valley Civilization once existed (well, it's to a lesser extent than even that).


	3. Eden Prime: Landfall

_"The Geth present a unique variable in this galaxy- an AI borne out of chance. On behalf of the Synthetic Lifeform Foundation, I'd like to petition the Directorate High Council and the UNSC High Command to attempt first contact. It is my belief there is much we can learn."_

\- Chairman Francis Burns-McCalloway, Address to the Foundation, December 11, 2582

* * *

Eden Prime  
Utopia System  
May 12, 2583

Second Lieutenant Ashley Williams wondered where it all went wrong.

The _Normandy_ had arrived in the Utopia System not long after they left Arcturus. That there was no welcoming picket squadron was the first sign that something was amiss. The still-hot debris field floating not far away from the Relay added to that.

Of course, it quickly became clear that there was _definitely_ something wrong when panicked comms from Eden Prime started reaching the ship. She could easily recall the shock on everyone's faces- the Council Spectres included- when the feed that Anderson brought up showed a superdreadnought-sized cuttlefish-like monstrosity laying waste to Eden Prime. Really, it wasn't the size of the thing that did it for her. It was the fact that a two-kilometer long warship was acting like a combat walker, and that it had waded through all the defenses in place seemingly unscathed.

And then there were the flashlight-head robots that the feed also showed. Williams had never seen anything like that in her entire life- combat robots, sure, but not these types. That they were firing plasma weaponry didn't make her feel any better, since that just reminded her of the Covenant.

She noted that the Asari Spectre went slightly stiff when the feed panned to the flashlight-heads. She was sure that Bailey and Vakarian did too, but they all weren't sure what it meant. That the Salarian Spectre didn't have the same reaction was odd, although it could be that he had a better grip of himself.

In any case, Captain Anderson ordered the a distress call to be relayed to Arcturus, before ordering the _Normandy_ towards the colony. Fireteam Impera, the Spectres, as well as an ODST platoon under Lieutenant Commander Shepard's command (how a Navy officer ended up leading a Marine unit was beyond Ashley, and she wasn't really curious) were ordered to suit up for deployment. She remembered snickering when the Asari Spectre realized they were _all_ deploying by drop pod, although the amusement only lasted until the one of the pods was torn apart by Anti-Aircraft fire.

If she had to judge, _that_ was probably when it went from 'bad' to 'FUBAR'.

The AA fire didn't destroy too many pods, but it did force them to scatter. Landing in the middle of enemy territory in one piece wasn't a good thing by any means, but it was undoubtedly better than being killed in the air.

The hatch of the pod was released as soon as she had made landfall. The MJOLNIR GEN3 Powered Assault Armor she was clad in had already linked with the Cerberus M-82 Harrier Assault Rifle **(1)** in her hands, and a quick scan of her surroundings revealed no hostiles. The inbuilt sensors that showed up on the Heads-Up Display concurred.

It didn't take her long to retrieve the rest of her gear from the pod (mainly her DMR and ammunition), when garbled words started emanating from the comms.

"... _mandy_...Shepard link...dig site…"

Pulling up a map of the surrounding area, which had been pinpointed by her Armor's GPS before the pod hit the ground, Williams saw that she wasn't too far away from the dig site.

"Normandy, this is Impera 5. En route to dig site now," she said, hoping that the ship's AI could at least clear it up. "I repeat, Impera 5 en route to dig site."

* * *

"You alright, Commander?" Lieutenant Alenko asked as he pulled Shepard out of the pod. Her landing had been an unlucky one, with the hatch of the pod blocked in part by the ground. Luckily for her, Alenko and another marine (who Shepard later identified as a Corporal Jenkins) managed to roll the pod over.

"Thanks for the assist, lieutenant," Shepard nodded as she pulled out her MA6K Carbine from the internal storage compartment. Both other marines were armed with MA6s as well, although Jenkins carried the heavier MA6B variant. Alenko was a biotic, so it made sense to Shepard that he had a lighter loadout. **(2)**

"Any news on the others?" Shepard asked as the three began making their way to the dig site. Jenkins seemed overly eager, which Shepard chalked up to pre-combat jitters.

"I know at least four of the pods got taken out. The Spectres landed a few hundred meters to the north of the dig site, and the majority of the ODSTs made landfall on the other side of the Ridge," Alenko summarized, marking the respective locations on the HUD's map. "Comms don't work outside of visual range- I think the hostiles are jamming it. Captain Anderson probably has BB working on it."

"If they're on the other side of Marlborough Ridge, I don't think they'll make it here any time soon," Jenkins chimed in. "The Ridge has lots of flat cliffs- practically impossible to bypass without a long detour or climbing gear."

"Jumpjets?" Shepard asked, referring to the 'jetpacks' that each ODST Combat Suit now came with.

"Won't work," Jenkins said firmly. "The cliffs are too steep and too high. I've climbed them in the past, commander."

"Damn," Shepard said as the impromptu fireteam came across a path. "Guess we're on our own then."

They came across a series of boulders, prompting Jenkins to speak up.

"There should be a settlement just across that hill there," he said, one hand pointing towards a hill.

Shepard was about to call him out on account of the idiocy in letting your guard down on a planet that was being _invaded_ , when a rocket hit the ground near Jenkins, causing his shields to flash and die. That there were kinetic barriers installed as a backup was the only reason Jenkins wasn't killed by the shrapnel, although the pulse rifle fire from three separate hostile infantry and a combat drone quickly remedied that.

"Cover!" Shepard called out as she attempted a biotic pull on Jenkins, who had frozen on the spot. _How the hell did this idiot get into the ODSTs?_

Alenko had already launched a Reave on the cluster of hostile infantry, staggering them and allowing him to take one out by rifle fire. The drone, however, was not encumbered in any way, and continued to fire pulses of what Shepard now knew was a type of plasma right at Jenkins.

Dragging him behind the cover provided by the boulders, Shepard quickly assessed the damage done to her errant squadmate.

"How's he doing?" Alenko asked as he fired another series of bursts at the hostiles, taking advantage of his biotic barrier to tank the shots.

"He's dead!" Shepard growled out, knowing that no matter how advanced Human medical science was, nothing could cure a bullet to the head. Once she added her firepower to Alenko's, dispatching the hostile infantry and drone was easy, given their lack of cover. The boulder did a good job of preventing the drone's rocket from hitting them.

Marking Jenkins' body with a beacon, Shepard then moved to the downed hostiles.

"They're 'bots," she said as she examined them.

"The plasma they fire bleeds shields and _kay-bees_ a lot faster than standard ammo **(3)** ," Alenko added. "I believe the dig site wasn't far from the civvie settlement Jenkins mentioned just now."

Pops of gunfire and the distinctive whine of the hostile plasma pulse fire reached them just as they started moving again.

"I think we've got a friendly under fire that way," Shepard called out, marking a hill just north of them. She began moving at a light sprint. "Let's move!"

* * *

If it weren't for the fact that the Harrier could tear apart the enemy infantry with just a few shots, she'd be dead. The first hostile drones were pathetically easy to dispatch- their rockets took a long time to load and fire, and their pulse weapons weren't very effective at taking down MJOLNIR GEN3 shields. Quality-wise, these enemies had nothing on a Paladin.

But quantity had a quality of its own, and there was a veritable army of these hostiles hounding her now.

 _Thank God for the terrain_ , Williams thought as she ducked behind a solid-looking boulder, swinging her rifle towards the approaching 'Trooper' infantry. She'd mentally classified them according to their armaments, and Troopers were the most common ones. Alone they weren't really an issue, but they tended to be accompanied by many other Troopers with heavier units just behind them.

Setting the Harrier to fire in two-shot bursts, she methodically sighted and dropped one trooper after another. The adrenaline rush kicked in, dropping her into what the older Paladins called _Spartan Time_. An observer would have been treated to a sight that Eden Prime had never seen before in its brief ten-year history- one of a single commando pushing back an army, if only for a short time.

The hostiles' numbers, however, seemed to be unending. Sure enough, within the next few minutes the heavier variants came out to play. Two of the white-armored 'Primes' and seven of the 'Destroyer' variants began attacking, with two dozen drones and troopers right behind them laying suppressing fire.

An eye to the shield strength indicator revealed that they were getting dangerously low- the hostiles, as synthetics, had unsurprisingly high accuracy, and cover could only help to a certain degree.

Flinging a grenade to the cluster of approaching Destroyers, Williams fired an additional burst before ducking behind cover.

 _Need to stay mobile_ , she thought. The map had allowed her to evade the hostile synthetics for a while, but with them in hot pursuit she'd been forced to make do with a disappointingly small amount of planning. _There! That hill should provide high ground, and it overlooks the dig site!_

 _It also ensures that they can take potshots at your armored ass as you make your way up that goddamn hill_ , she added, a grim smile appearing on her face.

Making a short prayer, she practically leapt up, unleashing a hail of gunfire and throwing a smoke grenade on the ground in front of the synthetics. While she was sure that they'd have infrared or another alternative, it might have bought her some time.

 _Do or die_ , the Williams motto rang in her head as she sprinted up the incline of the first hill at speeds more suited for vehicles rather than humans. As the enemy fire became more and more accurate, she started using the jumpjets to zigzag between the conveniently placed boulders, making sure to fire back every time she had the chance.

Spartan Time kicked in again as she neared the top of the hill, where she went prone and started picking off the pursuers. With the high ground at her side, she was able to thin down the approaching horde, but something felt off…

 _Where are the drones? There's supposed to be a lot more of them-_

The sudden movement of a dozen rockets filled her periphery vision, which also showed her the decloaking drones.

"Oh fuck-"

She rolled backwards, still within the blast radius of the rockets, but not at the epicenter. With Spartan Time, the rockets seemed to be moving slowly, and she had the chance to overcharge her shields, diverting power from other systems and overclocking the reactor.

"-me!"

Armor Locking wasn't a highly advised move in training, for the simple fact that the armor would be sluggish for seven or so seconds after it was over. That it only lasted five seconds in the first place ensured that she'd only be 'safe' behind the impenetrable shields for that long, before the drones could fill her up with pulse fire (or rockets). The rockets exploded, one after another, allowing her a sight that looked oddly beautiful, all things considered.

 _I wish I could've beaten Vakarian's score before this…_

The lock had ended a few seconds ago. Where was the pain? Or the impacts of pulse fire?

Daring a glance upwards, she saw the drones all caught in a bluish field. _Biotics_ , her mind supplied helpfully.

Sluggishly, she began aiming at the drones. She downed three of them before the rest were shot down by another source of gunfire.

Nodding in thanks, she sprinted back to the summit of the hill, seeing that the hostiles were now uncomfortably close to the top. She noted the sound of jumpjets as she began firing again, absentmindedly noting the arrival of two ODSTs to her side. Both began firing MA6Ks, although they launched a biotic attack every few seconds **(4)**.

"Big white fucker, on the left!" cried out one of the ODSTs, this one male.

Ashley noted a warp escaping the other ODST's right hand, slamming onto the Prime and tearing apart its armor. The kinetic barriers must have been taken out earlier. Williams focused her fire onto the other Prime, which had now begun charging forward.

That Prime, however, didn't fall to her or the ODSTs with her. A loud crack had filled the air, before the 'head' of the Prime literally exploded. The chatter of light machine guns then followed, dropping the rest of the hostile infantry.

"Scoped and...dropped!" an annoyingly smug Turian voice filled the comms. It didn't take long for Garrus Vakarian to come into view, with the Asari Spectre in tow. It was odd to see such a small being (in comparison) toting around a machine gun.

Williams sighed in relief, and turned to the ODSTs.

"Second Lieutenant Ashley Williams, Fireteam Impera. Thanks for the help back there," she said. "My ass would've been toasted by those drones. They've got tac-cloaks."

"No problem," responded one of the ODSTs. They depolarized their visors, revealing a caucasian man and a redheaded woman. The woman was the one speaking. "I'm Commander Shepard, that's Lieutenant Alenko."

The other ODST nodded in acknowledgement, his eyes scanning the dig site before them.

"Did you run into anyone else from the ship or planet?" Shepard asked.

Williams shook her head. "Landed separately from the Fireteam. Found a few dead CDF and Army, but no one alive. You?"

"We lost one of our guys earlier, but we haven't found anyone else yet," Shepard replied.

Garrus arrived at this point, forgoing the use of jumpjets in favor of moving up with the Spectre.

"Found Vasir not far from my pod. Saw Bailey land on the other side of the ridge, but Kryik and the Colonel shouldn't be too far from here," he reported calmly.

Ashley turned to Vasir, and saw that she was somewhat shaken.

"You know what those things were, don't you?" she asked, her tone suspicious and borderline accusatory.

Vasir closed her eyes and took a deep breath. "Geth," she said, her voice shaky. "I thought I saw wrongly, but the shape of their platforms, and the fact that their weapons are so similar to the old Quarian Confederation's plasma guns **(5)** is just too much to be coincidental."

 _Geth_. The Galaxy's Boogeyman **(6)**. Before she could say anything more, they were interrupted.

"-round team, come in," the comms came to life. It sounded like Captain Anderson.

"Captain Anderson!" Shepard was the first to respond. "This is Commander Shepard."

"BB, clear it up," Anderson said. "Ground team, do you read?"

"Yes sir, loud and clear," Shepard replied, relief clear in her voice.

"Sitrep," Anderson ordered.

"It's the Geth, sir- that's the name of the invading race. Synthetics, I think they're hive-minded AIs. I've got Vasir and two of Fireteam Impera with me, as well as Alenko," Shepard listed. "We lost Jenkins a while back. We're on a hill overlooking the dig site now, Captain. Most of the ground team is stuck on the other side of Marlborough Ridge."

"Geth? They must be after the beacon," Anderson said, almost incredulously, before sighing. "We're trying to patch comms with Colonel Arterius right now. Commander, there's supposed to be more than 3,000 troops guarding the dig site and surrounding area."

 _Where the hell did 3,000 army troopers disappear to?_ Ashley's gut churned.

"We'll let you know if we find any of them," Shepard said. "Captain, what's the situation up there?"

"Bad," Anderson summarized succinctly. "Local defense fleet is wiped out, and these Geth are laying siege to Constant. _Normandy_ can't engage since they have an entire fleet here, we just didn't notice them since they're on the other side of the planet. QRF should be here in a few hours. Commander, you need to secure that Beacon. If the Geth want it, we must deny it."

"I hate to interrupt, but we've got a problem," Garrus cut in. "Alenko and I have been using our suit sensors to ping the dig site for Prothean emission signatures, but…"

"It's not there," Alenko declared. He turned to Shepard. "Commander, the Beacon's been moved."

"Ah, fuck."

* * *

 **(1)** : Cerberus' rifles utilize Mass Accelerators while maintaining the standard bullet calibers. These are the hardest hitting infantry weapons in the galaxy outside of certain illegal Krogan arms. They do, however, suffer from several disadvantages. The first is cost- the Element Zero requirements of each rifle are not 'immense', but would be too costly for adoption by line infantry units. The second is the recoil- only a MJOLNIR/equivalent suit, Krogan or highly trained biotics would be able to utilize these weapons without suffering broken bones and dislocated shoulders. The third downside would be that of ammunition, with bullets being limited by how many magazines the user can carry. Even so, it is an infantry weapon capable of destroying heavy kinetic barriers or heavy energy shields in just one or two shots, and capable of pulverizing light and medium armor vehicles and piercing the front and side armor of most gunships with contemptible ease- thus its usage by Cerberus' elite.

 **(2)** : The MA6 Series of Assault Rifles is the main primary weapon for the UNSC's infantry forces. It comes in the A, B, C and K variants (Standard, Heavy, Covert, Carbine). It doesn't operate using Mass Accelerators, but does make use of magnetic rails instead. While bullet velocity is still much lower than that of Mass Accelerators, each bullet is notably larger and harder-hitting compared to the Mass Accelerator pellets. The MA6s have heavier recoil than their predecessors (the MA5 Series), and require augmented armor to use properly. ODST Combat Suit users can manage the weapon much better than regular Army/Marine IBS users, as the synthetic muscles help keep the recoil in line. Despite being harder hitting than regular mass accelerator weapons, the MA6 does suffer from the need for ammunition resupply, making it unpopular for extended missions behind enemy lines or protracted battles where resupply is difficult.

 **(3)** : Energy Shields are more easily drained by Plasma due to the 'bleeding' effect it causes on shields. The heat energy persists and causes the shields to 'bleed', meaning each successive hit increases the rate at which the shield strength drops. The same is true to a greater extent on Kinetic Barriers (colloquially called kay-bees by some segments of the UNSC). Geth weaponry is plasma-based, although it is dissimilar to the Covenant in that the plasma is coated around the bullets instead of the projectiles being the plasma.

 **(4)** : It should be noted that both Shepard and Alenko are above the norm for Human biotics. The vast majority of Human biotics are not able to constantly utilize their abilities. Generally the rate is one 'ability' per ten to fifteen seconds, but with low stamina as a caveat.

 **(5)** : The Quarian Confederation is the pre-Geth Uprising name of the Quarian government, which had been based on Rannoch. It was succeeded by the Quarian Migrant Fleet. Before the Uprising, the Confederation was the pioneer in weaponizing plasma among the Citadel races.

 **(6)** : The Geth haven't been seen for the better part of three centuries. During that time, most fictional works in Citadel Space have used the Geth as a plot device, something that carried over to the Alliance due to Turian cultural influence. Hence the term, the 'Galaxy's Boogeyman.'

* * *

Author's Notes-  
Vasir is in her matron stage, meaning 300-700 years old, and the Geth Uprising occurred approximately 300 years before the Human-Citadel First Contact. Most other races would have forgotten what Geth look like, but Vasir may have some memory of it.


End file.
